Device for delivering mail bags from railway cars



Nov. 27, 1928.

E. E. EDENHARDER ET AL- L BAGS FROM RAILWAY CARS DEVICE FOR DELIVERING MAI Filed Jan. 20, 1926 5 m [UGE/Yf [.EOE'N/MROL'R ATTORNEYJ.

Patented Nov. 27, 1 928.

UNITED STATES EUGENE E. EDENHARDER AND JACOB E ASSIGNORS 0F ONE-THIRD TO HELEN ED DENHARDER, OF WEST ALLIS, WISCONSIN, ENI-IARDER, OF WEST ALLIS, WISCONSIN.

DEVICE FOR DELIVERING MAIL BAGS FROM RAIIiVTAY CARS.

Application filed January 20, 1926. Serial No. 82,560

The invention relates to devices designed for effecting the safe delivery of mail bags from moving railway trains, and resides in a construction one part of which is attached to the railway car and is carried therewith and the other part of which is fixed at the railway station or other place at which the bag of mail is to be delivered from the car at the time that the latter passes the said station or place.

The part of the device which is carried by the car is supported at the inside of the car, in which position it may receive the mail, bag to be delivered, and then be swung into a position exterior to the car so as to be brought into position for delivery of'the mail bag, when the moving part and sta tionary part are brought into co-operative relation.

The movable part is provided with means for retaining the mail bag until engagement of the latter with the fixed part. Upon such engagement, the mail bag retaining devices upon the movable part are operated automatically to effect the release of the said retaining means, and so free the mail bag for deflection from the line of its movement into the compartment with which the fixed part is provided, such deflection being caused by certain elements positioned upon the fixed part.

The compartment in the fixed part is provided with a shield or cover which will serve to exclude in a very material degree rain and snow, which cover is automatically operated so as to admit the mail bag into the receiving compartment and is automatically restored to its normal position thereafter.

The novel features residingin the invention will now be particularly described, and then set forth in the appended claims.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a side view of a railway mail car showing the mail bag supporting means as in position for effecting delivery, and show ing also the fixed part of the transferring device as in position for receiving the mail bag when discharged from the moving car.

Fig. 2 is a view, somewhat enlarged, illustrating the action of delivery of the mail bag from the car into the fixed compartment.

Fig. 3 is a view from the left of the devices shown in Fig. 2.

Fig. 4- is a plan view of the devices shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the side of the car being shown in horizontal section.

Fig. 5 is a plan view of the fixed compartment, the latter being shown as open at the top.

Fig. 6 is a vertical sectional view through the fixed compartment, showing the arrangement of the cover or shield for closing the same, the automatic operation of the latter being illustrated.

In the drawing, the numeral 10 designates a railway mail car, assumed to be travelling in the direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. 1. A bracket 11 is attached at a suit able distance from the floor of the car to the inside of the door frame. The end of the stem of a T-arm 12 is pivoted at 13 to the said bracket. To the head 1a of the T-arm are connected horizontal guides 15 and 16, which for the purposes of the invention, may be spaced bars or a single piece, the extreme edges of which form guideways for the receptacle 17, in which the mail bag to be delivered is placed. The receptacle 17 is a skeleton affair, open at the top and sufficiently closed at the bottom by a grid formation, which latter will retain the bag until delivery is effected. The said grid formation is comprised of two parts, one part 18 being formed as a plurality of fixed members attached to the lower front edge of the receptacle 17, the'other part 19 being formed as a plurality of movable members, the latter being. pivoted at the rear lower edge of the receptacle. The grid members converge at their lower free ends, and are adapted to support a mail bag in the V-trough or hopper thus created. The rear grid member 19 is provided with an angular arm 20, upon which is positioned counter-weight 21, the purpose of which is to maintain the movable grid in the position shown in Figs. 1 and 2. A depending latch 22 is pivoted at its upper end to the side of the receptacle 17 next to the car, and is provided with a catch 23, the latter being adapted to engage under a projection 24: on that finger of the grid 19 which is nearest to the side of the car, and by this means support the mail bag in the V-trough orv hopper until the latch 22 is withdrawn in the manner which will be described later.

As hereinbefore indicated, the receptacle 17 is adapted to move along the guides 15 and 16, and to facilitate such movement, we pro partment With a fixed grid thereon for deflecting the mail bag, means for releasing the movable grid, and a cover for the compartment operated by the movement of the mail 5 bag into the compartment.

6. In a device for delivering mail bags from moving railway cars, a receptacle on the car for supporting a mail bag and provided With a movable bottom, in combination 10 with a fixed compartment for receiving the mail bag, means on the compartment for defleeting the mail bag from the receptacle into the compartment, a hinged cover for the latter which is operated in the deflection of the mail bag, and means for restoring the said cover to normal closing position after delivery of the mail bag has been eflected.

In testimony whereof, We have signed our names at Milwaukee, this 11th day of J anuary, 1926.

EUGENE E. EDENHARDER.

JACOB E. EDENHARDER. 

